tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28474849179737858422024-03-13T06:24:10.020-07:00dancing about architectureAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10055275923783069688noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2847484917973785842.post-30736403304457578562013-10-21T11:08:00.001-07:002014-02-11T10:06:57.522-08:00Live Report : L.I.E.S at Corsica Studios 19/ 10/ 13<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SnjJFLEMVV4/UmVrIaXuCyI/AAAAAAAAADk/ERFuzZQ2wpo/s1600/1381531_671235832894633_1167336552_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SnjJFLEMVV4/UmVrIaXuCyI/AAAAAAAAADk/ERFuzZQ2wpo/s640/1381531_671235832894633_1167336552_n.jpg" height="640" width="457" /></a></div>
<br />
On Saturday Elephant & Castle's
Corsica Studios played host to a trio of LIES live sets. Although the
Lies crew have had a recent european tour, the label's artists are relatively rare bookings. And as the forthcoming title of their label compilation
suggests - “Music For Shut Ins”- many of the acts on their roster
are perhaps more suited to bedroom listening than dancefloor abandon.<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The first to mount the hardware filled
stage was Bookworms, a young producer whose tracks have taken on an
increasingly gear heavy approach of late. His set started at full
throttle and didn't let up one iota. In place of the hypnotic
chugging rhythms which characterise his released output, were
sheets of static noise. Such industrial flecked sounds often overpowered the throbbing techno kicks beneath. It was more intense and unforgiving than I or those
around me were expecting, though what the set lacked in structure, it
more than made up for with atmospheric murk. A bracing hour which was
perhaps long enough given its challenging nature. It will be intriguing to see how Bookworms' live set
develops as he is obviously an artist with many sides to his sound,
as capable behind a drum machine as an mpc. Yet it would have been
nice to see him incorporate more sample based material, a la "African
Rhythms". This would have breathed some colour into an occasionally
monochrome performance.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
After a brief interlude, it was time
for headliner, Steve Summers. A more experienced live proposition, he
oozed assuredness throughout; always ensuring the frequencies were
spot on, and really working one of the best systems in London. He
treated the revellers to a flurry of released material (he has a lot to
choose from) including the mighty “Call Of The Wild” whose
oscillating synth lines sounded triumphant, and somehow less
outré in a club than on record. Summers' experimental tendencies
surfaced as he began sequencing his own voice into the mpc, whence it
emerged with varying levels of distortion, sounding anything but
human. It was an engaging spectacle of a hardware lover at the top of
his game.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
The final in the trio of live
performances was perhaps the most hotly anticipated; Terekke. The
slight, baseball capped figure added a welcome touch of deepness to
proceedings. His set had an elegance that the night had hitherto
lacked, and the crowd were content to bask in the warm ambiance of Gardner's blissful jams. “Amaze” made an appearance, along with
a host of other equally beautiful tunes such as "Fantasee". This guy's releases so far
have been some of the best received on lies to date, and he possesses a sublime sense of melody- with a knack for squeezing as much
life as possible from the smallest snatch of a sample. It was obvious
from this set that there is a lot more goodness awaiting release.
Let's just hope he presses record a bit more so we can all savour
these heavenly sessions. For now i'll have to content myself with some
hazy but powerful recollections of really fucking enjoying it.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10055275923783069688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2847484917973785842.post-16573311600934845982013-09-15T13:11:00.000-07:002013-09-15T13:11:54.428-07:00Bookworms<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
It's been some time, but LIES's self
proclaimed literary maggot is back. Not content with worming his way
into high works of fiction, Nik Dawson (AKA Bookworms) has his sights
set on our minds.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Indeed, he doesn't so much worm himself
into your head with his latest release, he positively declares
residency there, hoisting flag and chuffing cigar.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
It's not as if Dawson has been quiet
during the year or so since the deadly Love Triangles EP – his role
as co-head of Confused House has kept him busy, I'm sure- but I for
one was worried about how Dawson could possibly follow up such a
singular and accomplished debut. And as time ticked I suspected a
'difficult' second EP was in the offing.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Thankfully, Bookworms lays siege to my
neurotic conjectures, coming out of the block's like a man possessed
(or at least one denied a few books for a small length of time).</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
First up is 'Malfunction', given the
whole A- side to work its insidious weaponry. Oscillating and faintly
acidic synths hypnotise the head, whilst motorik grooves whip the
limbs into action. It is a steely, more dancefloor oriented departure
from Dawson's recent Confused House work. It combines the head
fucking atmospheric textures from the latter but allies them with
tighter, leaner rhythms. The result is a beautiful yet quietly
unsettling piece of music, which gives the impression of machines on
the brink of collapse. With dusty drum machines, and 808 cowbell hits
vying with more polished synth presets for position, it also strikes
a well judged balance between grit and gossamer. Great track.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The EP as a whole comes highly
recommended, and further confirms Dawson, along with Terreke, Delroy,
and Kupfer as among the leading lights of an always vital imprint.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F97558248" width="100%"></iframe>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10055275923783069688noreply@blogger.com0